Old St. Andrews

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The Time of the Choiera

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Beacon
Feb 18/1892
Scraps of History
Gleaned from the Old Sessions Records of Charlotte
THE TIME OF THE CHOLERA
            Who has not heard the old resident dating his affairs “from the time of the cholera?” The first mention of “cholera” appears in the records of the Sessions of Charlotte, of April 11, 1832. The following resolutions were then adopted by that body:—
            “Whereas it is enacted by the laws of the Province that all vessels having on board the small pox, yellow fever, putrid bilious fever, or other pestilential or contagious distempers at the time of her departure were known or supposed to prevail or on board of which vessel any person during the voyage had died or been sick of any such distemper or having passengers on board should be subject to such rules and regulations made at any General Session of the Peace.”
            “And whereas a contagious distemper called the cholera morbus, among others, is now raging in the continent of Europe and in Great Britain, and it is highly necessary and expedient that necessary measures should be used to prevent the introduction of all contagious distempers into this Provinces, especially the cholera morbus,”
            “Therefore ordered, that all vessels from Europe bound to this County or from any other port having passengers on board shall anchor between the eastern end of St. Andrews island and the Sand reef; that pilots shall furnish masters of vessels with a copy of the printed regulations, or read and explain the same to them. Vessels on arriving within sight of the harbor of St. Andrews to make the signal pointed out by law in the day time and at night to have light in its stead. Captains and supercargoes of any vessel ordered to perform quarantine may hand over to the physician any letters or any papers in such manner as he may direct, which after being sufficiently fumigated to be forwarded to their destination.”
            The day following, the Sessions passed another resolution, ordering “that the pest house on Little Hardwood Island e finished with all convenient dispatch, and that Mr. Hatheway, Mr. Wyer and Mr. Hatch be a committee for that purpose.”
            When the court resumed its business the next day, the Clerk was “directed to borrow two hundred pounds on the credit of the County for the purpose of defraying the expenses incurred in erecting buildings, furnishing provisions, medical attendance, etc., for the emigrants reported diseased, or on board the brig Susan and for preventing the spreading of the cholera morbus and other infectious distempers in this county.